Ruger Vaqueros

Hillbilly Harry · August 21, 2012, 10:54 AM

Hi All

This is my second posting. Apparantly I put this in the wrong forum and it got closed.

I recently got into Cowboy Action shooting with my wife and we share guns due to cost. I have a pair of New Ruger Vaqueros and relay like them.
At our last competition, I had a problem with one of them. One round did not get shot. This happened on three separte stages. My wife had no problem with them though, so I'm thinking it was me. Is there an issue with the cocking and rotation of the cylinder of these guns?? Am I cocking them too fast or trying to fire before they are cocked. I really did not understand and was wondering if anyone else had this problem.

Please let me know
Thank-you
Hillbilly Harry

**Mal H** · August 21, 2012, 11:05 AM

I also have a Vaquero, and I don't see how you can miss firing a round if you cocked it 6 times and pulled the trigger 6 times. Is that what happened, but one failed to fire? Did you or someone else count your attempts to fire?

With the Vaquero's design, I don't think it's possible to cock so fast that a round goes spinning by and the cylinder stops on the next one.

drail · August 21, 2012, 12:35 PM

Check the spring that powers the cylinder locking bolt. With the gun unloaded slowly cock the hammer and closely watch the cylinder locking bolt pop up. It should snap up early in the rotation and ride the lead in notch into the bolt cut. Or you can remove the cylinder and press down on the bolt. You should be able to feel the spring's tension. It should snap back up as as fast as you can get your finger off of it. Often these guns will come out of the factory with machining chips in the action which can cause parts to drag and hang up. ALL Rugers should be totally diasassembled when brought home and flushed out and deburred. Ruger is really bad in this dept.

Bob Wright · August 21, 2012, 04:53 PM

Are you getting the gun fully cocked?

If you let the hammer drop before fully cocked and don't have the trigger pulled, the transfer bar may not have risen sufficiently to get between the firing pin and hammer.

Bob Wright

rclark · August 21, 2012, 05:22 PM

Ditto what Bob said. Some times when I am single handed shooting (not using the off hand to cock revolver), my thumb will slip and I drop the hammer to soon and have to recock. This causes me to 'skip' one. Must go to full cock. No matter if original Vaquero or New Vaquero or BH....

Andrewh · August 21, 2012, 05:47 PM

if you cock too fast, it can over spin.
I did this to a set of old style vaquaros.
ruger will fix it.

take a look at the cylinder. see if you see a firing pin dent between cylinders. that will tell you for sure if you slipped off the hammer, (which I have done too) or if it is "firing" between cylinders due to over spin.

I had a quick draw smith fix it afte r ruger corrected it the first time, cause it happened again.

basically he put a stop at the bottom of the grip so you can't fully cock the gun if you do it slowly. and when I say slowly, I mean really slow. and not fully cock, is just barely. if you cock it at normal speed you would not notice.
the momentum finishes cocking. this prevents the whatever it is called that pushes on the cylinder to spin it, from pushing it past the lock.

royal barnes · August 21, 2012, 06:49 PM

If you are shooting two handed cocking with the offhand thumb you may be riding the hammer down enough to cause a light strike. I've seen it happen a number of times with new shooters. Try a couple of cylinders using your strong hand only. If you don't have any misfires I'll bet that's your problem.

Crunchy Frog · August 21, 2012, 06:51 PM

It is most likely the operator and not the gun. If you try to fire it before the revolver is fully cocked, you will miss a chamber and have to go "around the horn" to catch the missed chamber. Slow down just a bit.

Cowboy gunsmith "Jimmy Spurs" can install a hammer with a half cock notch. If you short cock the revolver the hammer will drop to half cock and you can re-cock and fire without indexing the cylinder.

Hillbilly Harry · August 22, 2012, 08:03 AM

Hi All

Thank-you very much for the help. I notice a scratch around my cylinder and when I looked at my brass (I reload) a couple of primers were hit on the edge rather than the centre.

I'll take it back to the range and try a slower cock to see what happens.

Really appreciate the help.
Thank-you

Hillbilly Harry

COLT_45 · August 22, 2012, 08:31 AM

Be carefull.....I'd have the gun checked out for what might be
a "late lock up". It's were the hammer goes to full cock before the
cylinder latch engages.....not good.....slight early lock up would
be preferable.....not a gunsmith just a thought.

isotop235 · August 22, 2012, 12:46 PM

error

Andrewh · August 23, 2012, 09:13 PM

it is easy to see without shooting it.

just fast cock and see if it over spun the cylinder.

just take a look at where they line up with a slow cock, then fast cock it and see if it goes further.

August 21, 2012, 10:54 AM	#1
Hillbilly Harry Junior Member Join Date: August 21, 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 4	Ruger Vaqueros Hi All This is my second posting. Apparantly I put this in the wrong forum and it got closed. I recently got into Cowboy Action shooting with my wife and we share guns due to cost. I have a pair of New Ruger Vaqueros and relay like them. At our last competition, I had a problem with one of them. One round did not get shot. This happened on three separte stages. My wife had no problem with them though, so I'm thinking it was me. Is there an issue with the cocking and rotation of the cylinder of these guns?? Am I cocking them too fast or trying to fire before they are cocked. I really did not understand and was wondering if anyone else had this problem. Please let me know Thank-you Hillbilly Harry

August 21, 2012, 05:22 PM	#5
rclark Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2009 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 2,619	Ditto what Bob said. Some times when I am single handed shooting (not using the off hand to cock revolver), my thumb will slip and I drop the hammer to soon and have to recock. This causes me to 'skip' one. Must go to full cock. No matter if original Vaquero or New Vaquero or BH.... __________________ A clinger and deplorable, MAGA, and life NRA member. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes colloquially referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. That said, the .44Spec is right up their too... but the .45 Colt is still the king.

August 22, 2012, 08:03 AM	#9
Hillbilly Harry Junior Member Join Date: August 21, 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 4	Ruger Vaqueros Hi All Thank-you very much for the help. I notice a scratch around my cylinder and when I looked at my brass (I reload) a couple of primers were hit on the edge rather than the centre. I'll take it back to the range and try a slower cock to see what happens. Really appreciate the help. Thank-you Hillbilly Harry

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

August 21, 2012, 11:05 AM	#2
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	I also have a Vaquero, and I don't see how you can miss firing a round if you cocked it 6 times and pulled the trigger 6 times. Is that what happened, but one failed to fire? Did you or someone else count your attempts to fire? With the Vaquero's design, I don't think it's possible to cock so fast that a round goes spinning by and the cylinder stops on the next one.

August 21, 2012, 12:35 PM	#3
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Check the spring that powers the cylinder locking bolt. With the gun unloaded slowly cock the hammer and closely watch the cylinder locking bolt pop up. It should snap up early in the rotation and ride the lead in notch into the bolt cut. Or you can remove the cylinder and press down on the bolt. You should be able to feel the spring's tension. It should snap back up as as fast as you can get your finger off of it. Often these guns will come out of the factory with machining chips in the action which can cause parts to drag and hang up. ALL Rugers should be totally diasassembled when brought home and flushed out and deburred. Ruger is really bad in this dept.

August 21, 2012, 04:53 PM	#4
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,987	Are you getting the gun fully cocked? If you let the hammer drop before fully cocked and don't have the trigger pulled, the transfer bar may not have risen sufficiently to get between the firing pin and hammer. Bob Wright

August 21, 2012, 05:47 PM	#6
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 1999 Posts: 966	if you cock too fast, it can over spin. I did this to a set of old style vaquaros. ruger will fix it. take a look at the cylinder. see if you see a firing pin dent between cylinders. that will tell you for sure if you slipped off the hammer, (which I have done too) or if it is "firing" between cylinders due to over spin. I had a quick draw smith fix it afte r ruger corrected it the first time, cause it happened again. basically he put a stop at the bottom of the grip so you can't fully cock the gun if you do it slowly. and when I say slowly, I mean really slow. and not fully cock, is just barely. if you cock it at normal speed you would not notice. the momentum finishes cocking. this prevents the whatever it is called that pushes on the cylinder to spin it, from pushing it past the lock.

August 21, 2012, 06:49 PM	#7
royal barnes Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2012 Location: Wendell, N.C. Posts: 189	If you are shooting two handed cocking with the offhand thumb you may be riding the hammer down enough to cause a light strike. I've seen it happen a number of times with new shooters. Try a couple of cylinders using your strong hand only. If you don't have any misfires I'll bet that's your problem.

August 21, 2012, 06:51 PM	#8
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	It is most likely the operator and not the gun. If you try to fire it before the revolver is fully cocked, you will miss a chamber and have to go "around the horn" to catch the missed chamber. Slow down just a bit. Cowboy gunsmith "Jimmy Spurs" can install a hammer with a half cock notch. If you short cock the revolver the hammer will drop to half cock and you can re-cock and fire without indexing the cylinder.

August 22, 2012, 08:31 AM	#10
COLT_45 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2011 Posts: 157	Be carefull.....I'd have the gun checked out for what might be a "late lock up". It's were the hammer goes to full cock before the cylinder latch engages.....not good.....slight early lock up would be preferable.....not a gunsmith just a thought.

August 22, 2012, 12:46 PM	#11
isotop235 Junior Member Join Date: August 22, 2012 Location: Rockland County NY Posts: 7	error

August 23, 2012, 09:13 PM	#12
Andrewh Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 1999 Posts: 966	it is easy to see without shooting it. just fast cock and see if it over spun the cylinder. just take a look at where they line up with a slow cock, then fast cock it and see if it goes further.